David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the disability equality section of his Department has carried out a review of the 3% employment quota in the public service; if this target is being met in all areas of the public service; the details and breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36363/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005, dealing with public service employment of persons with disabilities, came into effect on 31 December 2005. It places the 3% employment target in the public service on a statutory footing. Under section 48 of the Act, a public service body must prepare a report for submission to the relevant monitoring committee established under the Act on its compliance with the requirements in respect of the year ended 31 December 2006 by 31 March 2007 at the latest. The monitoring committees established by Ministers in respect of the public bodies under their aegis have until 30 June 2007 at the latest to report both to the relevant Minister and the National Disability Authority on compliance by the relevant public bodies with the requirements. The Act confers significant new monitoring functions in this regard on the National Disability Authority.

It is in the context of these new statutory arrangements and timeframes that the current position will be formally reported for all areas of the public service.

In the implementation of these provisions, Government Departments and any other public body staffed by civil servants are accountable to the Minister for Finance, while local authorities and organisations within the Health Service Executive are accountable respectively to the Ministers for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and for Health and Children. All other public bodies are accountable to the relevant Minister.